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BY THE SAME AUTHOR 


LEADERS OF YOUNG PEOPLE 





<< iF he) 


f 


How to Improve : Be 
Your Sunday Schoo sp 


BY 
FRANK WADE SMITH 


A short course which makes use of the survey 
method and aims to help the present workers 
so to study their task that they can 
‘improve their schools in certain 
respects immediately. 





ZW 


THE ABINGDON PRESS 
NEW YORK "CINCINNATI 


Copyright, 1924, by 
FRANK WADE SMITH 


All rights reserved, including that of trarislation into 
foreign languages, including the Scandinavian 


Printed in the United States of America 


CONTENTS 


PAGE 
MM MITFEICOP TANG. WEA cis la Wl vce ee vad yea hots Bleed SNP AE Deh 7 
Part 1. Purpose 
Part 2. Plan 
Part 3. Directions for Using this Book 
Part 4. The Library 
PROBLEM I. Tur Reuicious Epucatronan AIMs oF 
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL. ......5).0.0 5606 23 
PROBLEM II. Grapine, Promotion, AND ELIMINATION 
. ORE PILA . te rerio ay AS Pe RIAs ANAER 3.. 
Prosiem III. OrcanizaTion AND ADMINISTRATION..... 34 
Proptem IY. Ture Cours or Stupy................ 39 
PROBLEM V. PHyYsicaL EQUIPMENT................5. 45 
ProsptemM VI. Opentine AND CLOSING SERVICES....... 53 
Prostem VII. Recorps anp REports................ 59 
Propiem VIII. Wrerex-Day AcTIvITIEs...... aslo Sita ak Wee 
ProsuEM IX. Trarninc TeacHers AND OFFICERS..... 68 


PROBLEM X. SECURING THE COOPERATION OF THE 
FiomE AND CHURCH. 2.56 Ue has 73 





INTRODUCTION 
PART I. PURPOSE 


How Can WE MAKE OvR SuNDAY ScHooL BETTER? 


In most churches the chief religious educational need is 
a better Sunday school. Week-day religious instruction is 
receiving a great deal of attention just now—and that is 
good. Many churches are ready to extend their educa- 
tional work to include week-day activities. But there 
remain great numbers of churches not ready for week- 
day work. These latter have scarcely made a beginning 
in the field of so-called modern religious education. Their 
ministers and Sunday-school workers recognize the in- 
adequacy of their educational programs. They are not 
satisfied with existing conditions, and genuinely desire 
to improve them. But how can that improvement be 
promoted? Where should the beginning be made, and how? 

“What we want first,’ said one worker, “is a good Sun- 
day school, one in which there is good organization and 
teaching. We are not ready for week-day work. Our 
immediate job is that of making our Sunday school better. 
Without throwing out our present workers and wrecking 
the whole institution, how can we go about making our 
Sunday school better?” And that is the query in many 
places. The purpose of this book is to help answer the 
question. 3 

In general, this book rests upon three ideas: First, 
the place to begin to improve and enlarge the religious 
educational program of a church is the Sunday school. 
There we have a body of workers, a body of pupils, an 
organization, and a program of some sort—something with 
which to begin. Second, whatever is done with the present 

7 


8 INTRODUCTION 


officers and teachers in the way of teacher training or 
Workers’ Conferences should have immediate value: it 
should improve the Sunday school as it goes along. The 
Sunday school—your Sunday school—is the thing to be 
studied and made better. It is the project or problem 
upon which the present workers are working. It needs 
improvement now, and it can be improved at many points 
now. Whatever is done, therefore, should result in better- 
ing the Sunday school in specific ways as the effort pro- 
ceeds. Third—and this is no doubt obvious—the persons 
upon whom rests the chief responsibility for improving 
the Sunday school are the present teachers and officers. 
They are best acquainted with the school, its personnel, 
its methods, its history; they have, to a greater or less 
extent, the confidence of the congregation; they are in a 
position to initiate changes with a minimum of friction 
and opposition. Why not, therefore, begin with them? 
Why not let them lead, and give them every possible aid 
in their undertakings? Ci Ay 

More specifically, the book undertakes to do the fol- 
lowing: 

1. To help the present Sunday-school workers discover 
wherein the existing organization and program and methods 
in their own school are weak and wherein they are strong. 

2. To guide these workers into a broader and more 
accurate knowledge of what is regarded as best in re 
ligious educational theory and practice as far as the 
Sunday school is concerned. 

3. To help them formulate and initiate plans for the 
immediate improvement of the Sunday school at particular’ 
points. 

4, To provide publicity material with which to appeal 
for the cooperation of the congregation and the active 
support of the official body of the church. ) 

5. To show the need of, and point out the way for, a 
more intensive as well as extensive study of the whole 
problem of religious education in church and community. 


INTRODUCTION 9 


INTRODUCTION 
PART II. PLAN 


Tue plan of the book follows closely that of an educa- 
tional survey (see Bower’s A Survey of Religious Education 
in the Local Church, Chapters I-V). The Sunday school 
is the problem or project upon which the teachers and 
officers work. Certain definite phases of the school’s ac- 
tivities are taken up separately and thoroughly investigated 
in the light of the theory of a carefully selected number 
of books dealing with religious education. The actual 
situations of the Sunday school are brought alongside of 
the ideas of the books, and in line with what is revealed 
by the comparisons, plans are made and efforts started 
which aim to improve the school in definite ways. Briefiy . 
stated, the book aims to provide for the present workers 
a method of study and effort which seeks to discover (1) 
what is being done now, (2) what is the value of the present 
methods, (3) what should be done to improve the school, 
and (4) how the desired improvements can be initiated 
and promoted successfully. 

Some of the important interests of the average Sunday 
school have been organized under ten heads, called ‘‘Prob- 
lems” herein. Each of these Problems is treated in this 
way: There is a list of questions to be answered by 
observing the school to get the facts, and by reading 
books to get the theories. Under many of the questions 
will be notes pointing out their significance in terms of 
a good school, also references to specific chapters or para- 
graphs in the books of the workers’ library. As suggested 
in the next section of this Introduction, the workers use 
these questions as the basis for a twofold report—a report 
on what exists in school and book, and a report on what 
may ve attempted in the way of specific improvements. 
These reports provide subjects for discussion at the group 
meetings. 


10 INTRODUCTION 


INTRODUCTION | 
PART III. DIRECTIONS FOR USING THIS BOOK 


As it is probable that this book will be used chiefly as 
a guide for group study, this chapter will be devoted to 
suggestions for its use in that particular way. In some 
places the suggestions are general in character. In others 
they are more specific. The contents of this chapter of 
course will be of greatest interest to those who will 
act as promoters or leaders of the plans proposed herein. 
However, all who engage in using the book should give 
careful attention to this chapter, in particular to the 
sections on Reports and Records, Conducting the Con- 
ferences, and The Follow-Up. It will be well for 
the group to spend an evening going over this chapter 
together. 


THE LEADER 


1. His responsibility. The success of any effort like 
that proposed herein is largely “up to: the leader.” He - 
must be both teacher and executive. Stated briefly, his 
responsibility is as follows: (a) Arouse enthusiasm in 
every member of the group. (b) Take the initiative. (c) 
Help the various committees in the preparation of their 
reports. (d) See to it that the records of the conferences 
are kept accurately and in serviceable ways. (e) Provide 
suggestions for the utilization of the conclusions reached 
by the group, and of the data reported by the various 
investigating committees. (f) Keep in touch with such 
headquarters as will provide help in his work—the de- 
nominational boards and publishing houses, the Sunday- 
school association offices, and the editorial departments 
of the religious educational publications. That may seem 
to be a pretty heavy load for the leader to carry. And 
it is. But the type of work proposed in this book depends 
for its success upon having a working leader in charge. 


INTRODUCTION 11 


For what is proposed is not merely a debating or discus- 
sion class, but an effort actually to make some changes 
in the way the Sunday school is conducted. There is a 
job to be done, not just talked about. And that demands 
as a leader one willing to carry a heavy load. 

2. His preparation. (a) He should be thoroughly 
acquainted with the purpose and plan of this book. It 
is to be his chart, therefore he should know it thoroughly. 
Before he begins to conduct sessions of the group he 
should read the book entirely through. (bv) He should 
be thoroughly acquainted with what is generally regarded 
as desirable in religious education as far as the Sunday 
school is concerned. Cuninggim-North’s Organization and 
Administration of the Sunday School and Stout’s Organiza- 
tion and Administration of Religious Education will be 
valuable helps in this connection. (c) He should keep 
ahead of the sessions of the group by working with the 
committees preparing the various reports. If he is familiar 
with the reports before they are presented, he can lead 
the discussion thereon to better advantage. Further, he 
will be able to make some recommendations which aim at 
immediate action. 

But this whole matter of preparation will work out 
aright if the leader correctly interprets his opportunity. 
He is to lead, not lecture. He must be first of all a teacher, 
and the chief function of the teacher is to bring out, 
not pour in. He should thoroughly understand and prac- 
tice the principles of conducting a class, of asking ques- 
tions especially. The following references will be valuable 
in this connection: 

The Art of Questioning, (pamphlet), Fitch. 

Learning and Teaching, Sheridan-White, Chapter XXVII. 

How to Teach Religion, Betts. Chapters XI, XII. 

Story-Telling, Questioning, and Study, Horne. Part II. 


INITIATING THE PROJECT. 
Where and how and when shall we begin to use the plan 


12 INTRODUCTION 


of this book? Of course the very first thing to be done 
is to decide that you really want to make your Sunday 
school better, that you are willing to exert yourself, in 
company with others, in finding out just what needs to 
be done and probably can be done in the way of improving 
your school. Like every other plan for making the Sun- 
day school better, this one will not work unless there is 
a genuine willingness to try to make it work. And some- 
body must lead in the matter. Usually that person is 
either the minister or the Sunday-school superintendent. 
But whoever he may be, he must clearly recognize that to 
get results there must be adequate efforts. Merely read- 
ing this book through, and meeting to discuss its proposi- 
tions, will not make your school better. The desired 


improvement will come only when those engaged in the — 


effort actually undertake to accomplish some definite work 
which aims at improving the situation. So before any 
start is made there must be a willingness on the part of 
at least one person to try to work out in practice what- 
ever of theory is discovered as worth approving. © 
Sometimes a series of pulpit discussions of what is 
regarded as a modern Sunday school will pave the way 
for a successful effort. The minister can point out to 
the whole congregation what are regarded today as the 
needs and aims in the field of religious education, and 
then show how the Sunday school is related to those 
needs and aims. If the church publishes a weekly bulletin, 
a section of that could be used each week in explaining 


to the people what is needed and desirable. Any denomi- 


national publishing house or religious educational board 


will provide abundant materials for use in these ways—in 


pulpit and bulletin. The object is to awaken a general in- 
terest in the subject of a better Sunday school and to pre- 
pare the congregation for whatever move is made to im- 
prove the school of the church. 

Aside from anything done to create popular appreciation 
of the need of improving the Sunday school, the way to 


INTRODUCTION 13 ° 


begin is to get together the workers, as many as possible, 
and go over the plan of the book carefully with them. 
Do not try, of course, to read the whole thing to them. 
Take one particular Problem and show how it can be used 
to advantage. Bring to the attention of the group how 
that particular Problem can be studied and acted upon 
according to the treatment of it in this book. That first 
meeting is the key to the whole situation. If it is handled 
so that there is evident a promise of value in using the 
course, all will be well. We get enthusiastic about 
what promises to be of use. Therefore too much time 
cannot be spent by whoever undertakes to start the 
effort in preparing for the first meeting or “set up” 
gathering. 

Obviously, there must be the usual setting of times and 
places for meetings, the election of such officers as may be 
needed, and other details settled. These need no direc- 
tions. ‘ 

While it is desirable that all present workers engage 
in the effort, we should not be deterred if some decline 
to do so. Two or three willing and enthusiastic workers 
can go ahead and accomplish a great deal, even if they 
get done nothing more than discover and make public in 
what particular ways the Sunday school should and can 
be improved. That blazes.a way for the future. 

As to when we should begin—well, whenever we can. 
Of course a good time to start such a work is in the fall 
of the year, at the time the school year begins. There are 
ten Problems in the book. Half of them could be worked 
upon before the Christmas holidays, and the other half 
after those holidays. That divides the effort into two 
terms of five sessions each. But let us always remember 
that while there are some times better than others for 
beginning any work, the time to begin is whenever we can. 
It will take at least ten sessions of the group to cover the 
Problems. Each group can and must decide when it will 
begin. The essential thing is to begin. 


14 INTRODUCTION 


ORGANIZING THE WORKERS. 


1. From those willing to engage in the work appoint 
committees to be responsible for designated Problems and 
the reports thereon. Appoint a chairman for each com- 
mittee. The basis for the organization of these committees 
can be either (a) that of available leadership—those able 
to act as chairmen—or (b) especial interest and ability 
in particular subjects or Problems. Needless to say, a 
great deal depends upon getting as leaders for each com- 
mittee persons willing to do the work and having ability 
to do it well. 

2. Assign to each committee hie Problem for which it 
will be responsible. Arrange a schedule of dates for the 
presentation of the reports. Have it understood that all 
reports will be expected on time. 

3. Elect a secretary to keep a complete record of each 
conference or session of the group. A stenographer will 
be especially good for this office. As will be emphasized in 
the following section on “Reports and Records,” the secre- 
tary will have considerable responsibility. | 

4, Some one especially capable, or willing to study to 
become capable, should be selected to act as publicity 
director. (For the duties of this worker see the section on 
“Rollow-Up.’’) 

5. A social committee should be created to arrange for 
special meetings, refreshments, etc. Such a committee can 
be of great help to the publicity director in case mass- 
meetings are held for the purpose of presenting the find- 
ings of the group to the congregation. 


REPORTS AND RECORDS 


1. Each committee should prepare a carefully written 
report for presentation to the group meeting for which it 
has been assigned. It can devise its own form of report. 
It should, of course, follow the questions listed under the 
Problem on which it reports. 

2. Before preparing the report there should be the 


INTRODUCTION 15 


fullest possible investigation and gathering of data. The 
more thorough the research the better will be the report. 
Remember that the main business of each committee is 
to discover the facts and then present those facts to the 
workers in a form that will excite thought and lead 
to sound and practical conclusions. The value of the 
whole effort depends greatly upon the quality of the 
reports. 

3. A complete copy of the report of each committee 
should be filed with the secretary to be placed among the 
permanent records of the school. 

4. The secretary should keep a full record of each 
meeting of the workers. That record should include a copy 
of the report considered, a digest of the discussion thereon 
arranged according to the questions or divisions of the 
report, and an exact record of all conclusions reached, 
including whatever is recommended in the way of action 
aiming to improve the school in particular ways. 


CONDUCTING THE CONFERENCES 


While the work of preparing the reports is important, 
too much attention cannot be given to making the con- 
ferences of the workers successful. Unless the conferences 
are well planned and conducted, the best of reports will be 
of no avail. Keep in mind that this whole effort is to 
bring about the improvement of your Sunday school at 
definite points, and that the aim of each conference is to 
reach intelligent decisions about what those improvements 
shall be and how they shall be made. The reports are 
means to an end, and that end is securing the informed 
cooperation of the workers in making your school better. 
Therefore, the conferences are highly important. 

In this connection it should be emphasized that to be 
successful each conference must be carefully planned. 
That means that before the workers gather some one must 
work out in detail just what is going to be done at the 
session. Obviously that task falls to the leader, at least 


16 INTRODUCTION 


that person should see to it that the task is done and 
done well. A general plan, although better than none, 
is not the best. What is needed is a detailed plan, ene 
in which the proposed procedure is mapped out to the 
smallest possible item. The basis for such a plan is 
given in the following suggestions about conducting the 
conferences. Wach suggestion calls for a detailed plan ~ 
to carry it out. While considerable in the way of details 
is included under each suggestion, obviously not every- — 
thing can be included. No hard-and-fast plan, worked out 
minutely, can be given, chiefly because such plans vary 
because of leadership and local situations. Something must 
be left to the originality and initiative of the leader and 
the workers who use this book. . 

1. Devotions. Ten or fifteen minutes can be given to 
devotion. One person or different persons can conduct 
this period. The Scripture lessons and topics can be 
arranged to form a series. The aim, of course, should 
be to provide something inspiring. This portion of the 
conference can be made especially valuable by aiming to . 
make it supply a spiritual background for the whole 
Sunday-school task. Books like Fosdick’s Meaning of 
Service, or Bosworth’s What It Means to Be a Christian, 
can be used in this connection. 

2. Presentation of the Report. After the devotional 4 
period the meeting should be put into the hands of the 
chairman of the committee making the report for that 
session. The chairman should be free to present the report 
in his own way—either read all of it himself, or have it 
read in sections by different members of the committee, 
or distribute copies of the report and then call attention 
to particular parts deemed especially important. The es- 
sential thing to keep in mind is to get the important items 
of the report clearly before the workers. If it is not possible 
to have copies of the report for each worker, the next best 
thing would be to use a blackboard, or chart, putting 
thereon the chief headings of the report. 


INTRODUCTION 17 


3. Special Address. Immediately after the presentation 
of the report should come a brief address on the prin- 
ciples involved in that report. Of course the most able 
person available should make this address. It is not 
necessary that this person be a member of the conference. 
He may be found in another church in the community, or 
even in another community. If it is not possible to secure 
some one to make an address, then a member (or members) 
of the committee presenting the report should read from 
the reference books the important paragraphs bearing upon 
the principles of the report. These reading references 
will be found in connection with each Problem and its 
treatment. 

4. Discussion of the Report. The leader should be in 
charge. Here is where his heaviest responsibility comes. 
The report is the subject to be discussed. Every item in 
it must be clear to every worker present. Further, as 
not all of the items are of equal value, it must be pointed 
out. which are most important. These most important 
items are the ones upon which most time should be spent. 
If, as should be the case, the leader has gone over the 
report carefully before the meeting, he will have planned 
how the time is to be divided with reference to the items 
of the report. Further, he will be able to save time by point- 
ing out rapidly the relation of some items to others, thereby 
grouping them so they can be discussed effectively together. 

5. Reaching Conclusions. The aim of the discussion is 
to reach agreements about the significance of the report 
and what should be done about the matter. As each sec- 
_ tion of the report is considered it will be well to formulate 
tentatively a conclusion about it. Word that conclusion 
carefully, and have the secretary make a careful and accu- 
‘rate record of it. After the whole report has been thus 
considered these tentative conclusions should be reviewed 
and put into final form and kept as a record of the tenta- 
tive conclusions. You may want to refer to them in the 
future. Remember, in this connection, you bave reached 


18 INTRODUCTION 


the place where things should begin to happen, so far as 
your Sunday school is concerned. Here is where you 
make your plans for applying the report to the problems 
of your school. The report has given the workers informa- 
tion which brings out clearly particular problems, and 
throws upon those problems the light of the best theories 
available. With that much done, and done well, you have 
cleared the way to begin to make your plans for definite 
action. 

6. Planning for Action. The conclusions spoken of in 
the preceding paragraph may take the form of recommenda- 
tions for action. In most cases it is probable that the 
workers are not meeting in an official capacity. There- 
fore, they will not have authority to initiate action. What 
they must do is to recommend to the body having such 
authority certain actions to be taken. The recommenda- 
tions may be of two Kinds: (1) recommendations involv- 
ing changes in the way in which the school is conducted; 
(2) recommendations dealing with giving publicity to what 
has been discovered and concluded. Often before action 
can be accomplished in the school the congregation must 
be educated. And often some of the workers may not be 
attending the conferences, in which case they must be edu- 
cated. Every conference, as we have said before, should 
point up in some plan for action. The aim of the whole 
effort is to start something that will improve your Sunday 
school, and improve it now. 


THE FoLtLow-UP 


One of the important results of this effort will be the 
collection and arrangement in orderly form of information 
vital to the religious educational work of your church. 
This information should be given wide publicity in the 
congregation. People, for the most part, do not know 
very much about the Sunday school. Only a few of them 
think of it as an educational agency. Many estimate 
the quality of the Sunday school on the basis of a large 


INTRODUCTION 19 


attendance, big offerings, and numerous spectacular enter- 
tainments staged largely for the benefit of the grown-ups. 
Therefore they need to be informed about what constitutes 
a good Sunday school from the point of view of modern 
religious education. The data gathered by the use of the 
plan proposed herein can be made to serve admirably in 
educating the congregation on the subject of the Sunday 
school. 

1. Each conference should be followed by some kind of 
an announcement about the important facts discovered and 
the conclusions reached. That can be done in one or all 
of the following ways: (a) printed in the church bulletin 
weekly; (b) printed in a leaflet issued once a month; (c) 
printed in the local newspaper; (d) read from the pulpit 
at the Sunday-morning service. Five minutes of each 
service during the ten weeks required to carry out this 
plan would be sufficient, or one whole Sunday service 
once a month for a few months would serve. If the 
prayer-meeting services are well attended by the influ- 
ential members of the congregation, then a few minutes 
each week at those services could be used to present the 
findings and conclusions of the Workers’ Conferences. 
Where parent meetings are held, the matter might be 
taken up there. A series of suppers or luncheons also 
could be used to present the findings to the people. But 
whatever plan is used, we should keep in mind always 
that our aim is to educate the congregation about their 
own Sunday school—what it is, what it should be, and what 
is needed to get it from what it is to what it should be. 

2. It is probable that the workers will decide that some 
new plans should be tried out. If that is so, and an 
attempt is made to work the plans decided upon, whatever 
is done should be watched closely. The committee report- 
ing on the items involved should act in a supervisory 
capacity, and from time to time report back to the workers 
the progress made. It is not probable that everything 
attempted will succeed. But why? And wherein did it fail? 


20 INTRODUCTION 


Can it be corrected and how? Our task is not merely 
to plan for new efforts, it is also to keep check on all 
efforts and activities, both old and new. When that is 
done the workers really become an “efficiency board.” 

3. From time to time opportunity should be given for 
supplementary reports on subjects already considered. A 
committee may discover additional data which throw light 
on its former report. Those data should be presented to 
the workers and considered at the conferences. A record 
of the discussion thereon should be inserted with the orig- 
inal report. These additional items become, in reality, 
amendments to the original reports and discussions. 

4, After the workers have completed the plan suggested 
herein, it would be well for them to hold a public exhibi- 
tion for the purpose of presenting to the church and com- 
munity the results of their effort. Charts and tables 
showing facts discovered could be used. Placards announc- 
ing important ideas, needs, etc., would also form a part of 
the exhibit. Some of the work done in the school could 
be presented too. In fact, whatever would lend itself to 
presentation could be used as material for this exhibit. 
This particular effort could cover a number of days, per- 
haps a whole week. During that week special speakers 
talking on particular phases of Sunday-school work might 
be secured. The aim would be to use this effort to clinch 
whatever publicity had been used before. 


INTRODUCTION 
PART IV. THE LIBRARY 


At the beginning of each Problem is a list of References. 
We have purposely selected as few books as possible for 
this use. Many schools cannot afford to buy a great number 
of books, and their communities do not afford a public 


INTRODUCTION 21 


library service which meets the need. The Looks listed 
as References are not expensive. And they will serve quite 
well in using the schedules of this book; that is, they are 
sufficiently comprehensive. All of them are thoroughly 
sound in principle. They provide what is generally re- 
garded just now as the best theory in the field of religious 
education. 

At the end of most of the Problems are lists of ‘“Addi- 
tional References.” It is not necessary to refer to them, 
although for the most part they contain materials of great 
value. If your finances permit, get as many of them as 
possible—and use them too. 

Here is a list of the books we deem necessary for 
securing the best results in using this book: 

Organization and Administration of Religious Education. 
J. E. Stout. 

Organization and Administration of the Sunday School. 
_J. L. Cuninggim and Eric M. North. 

The Educational Task of the Local Church. W.C. Bower. 

A Social Theory of Religious Education. George A. Coe. 

The New Program of Religious Education. George H. 
Betis. 

How to Teach Religion. George H. Betts. 

Childhood and Character. Hugh Hartshorne. 

The Pupil and Teacher. Luther A. Weigle. 





PROBLEM I 


THE RELIGIOUS EDUCATIONAL AIMS OF THE 
SUNDAY SCHOOL 


REFERENCES 


Educational Task of the Local Church, Chapters I, II. 

Social Theory of Religious Education, Chapters V, VIII. 

Organization and Administration of the Sunday School, 
Chapters I, II, VI. 

New Program of Religious Education, Chapters I, II, III, 
TV; \V, . 

Organization and Administration of Religious Education, 
Chapters II, III, VII. 

How To Teach Religion, Chapter V. 


GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS 


Right at the outset let us be clear on this point: The 
Sunday school to be studied is the one with which we are 
most familiar—our own. Merely to study about “a”’ Sunday 
school will not accomplish the desired results. When we 
devote our attention chiefly to the particular school with 
which we are identified we tend to think to valuable con- 
clusions, and whatever is undertaken as a result of our 
study will have more practical value. Therefore, in this 
as in all of the other Problems considered, we are to 
deal with our Sunday school—the one we know most about 
and whose improvement we seek. 

Why do we place first the problem of aims? Probably 
no great amount of argument is necessary here. Before 
we can hit the mark, we must see the mark. That is, we 
must know its nature, its location, and what is involved 
in hitting it. Applying the idea, before we can improve 
our Sunday school we must know what particular items 

23 


24 HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR SUNDAY SCHOOL 


of our work are to be improved. Always there is danger 
of our taking for granted that everybody concerned is 
conscious of what we are trying to do through the Sun- 
day school. There is a prevalent tendency to assume 
that our teachers and officers are fully aware of the goal 
toward which we work. The fact of the matter is that 
we lack warrant for such an assumption, All too fre- 
quently we find that our workers are unable to state 
clearly and concisely the goal of tha Sunday school. No 
wonder then they miss the mark. 

In order that our efforts hereafter shall be most effective, 
we will at the outset concern ourselves with the matter of 
aims. Deliberately we will try to determine the specific 
goals toward which we are now moving and those toward 
which we should move. A great deal has been written 
on this particular subject of aims. However, in the refer- 
ences selected we have the gist of the best literature on 
the subject. Some questions and references may at first 
reading seem remote from the subject of aims, but a care- 
ful reading and study of them will reveal their bearing 
and value. 


1. List the organizations of your church doing religious 
educational work, either instructional or expressional, 
for (a) children under 12; (0) those from 12 to 17; (c) 
young people 18 to 25; and (d) adults. 

Later we will subdivide those divisions, but for the time 
being our purpose is served when we consider them in 
this way. You will have four lists of organizations. Put 
the names of the organizations on four charts, or one chart 
with four columns. If any one organization serves more 
than one division, indicate the fact in some way—under- 
score, star, or write it in red. 

If you are not clear as to what constitutes religious 
educational work, or desire help in determining what 
organizations come under this question, read the following 
reference; : ; 


RELIGIOUS EDUCATIONAL AIMS 25 


New Program of Religious Education, Pages 33-41. 

2. To what extent do these organizations overlap as 
to (a) membership, (0) program, and (c) calls for finan- 
cial support? 

3. What efforts have been made to eliminate the over- 
lapping of organizations (a) by combining them into a 
single organization; (b) by limiting their fields so that 
no one function will be undertaken by more than one 
organization; (c) by bringing them under the control and 
direction of an educational council or committee having 
power to coordinate their programs? 

4. To what extent do your Sunday-school teachers en- 
gage in the work of the other educational agencies of the 
church? Are they working with the same children always? 
What are the advantages and disadvantages of the existing 
situations in this respect? What can be done to improve 
matters? 

5. Has your school defined its ultimate aims for the 
school as a whole? If so, state them specifically. If not, 
draw up a list of possible ultimate aims. In this con- 
nection the following references will be of value: 

Educational Task of Local Church, pages 21-29. 

Organization and Administration of Religious Education, 
pages 39-49. 

Social Theory of Religious Education, pages 53-63. 

6. Has your school defined its proximate or immediate 
aims? If so, state them specifically. If not, make a list 
of possible proximate aims. For help in this connection 
see 

Organization and Administration of Religious Education, 
pages 49-57. 

7. For the purpose of greater accuracy and effective- 
ness let us now consider the school divided as follows: 
Kindergarten or Beginners (years 4-5); Primary (years 
6-8, or Grades I-III); Junior (year 9-11, or Grades IV-VI); 
Intermediate or Junior High School (years 12-14, or Grades 
VII-IX); Senior (years 15-17, or Grades X-XII); Young 


26 HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR SUNDAY SCHOOL 


People (years 18-25); Adults. What should be the religious 
educational aims with each of these groups? The following 
references will help in answering that question: 

Childhood and Character, pages 43, 77-78, 113-114, and 
the chart on page 277. 

Pupil and Teacher, Chapters III-VII (pages 22-64). 
| International Graded Lessons, Teachers’ Manuals for 
each grade. These have been summarized in a prospectus 
which can be secured free from the publishers. 

8. Upon which grades or ages is your school putting 
its chief emphasis? Upon which does it put the least 
emphasis? For instance, which grades or ages have the 
best rooms, the best equipment, the best Jesson materials, 
the best supervision, etc.? What bearing has this question 
and its answer upon the matter of the religious educa- 
tional aims of your school as a whole? 

9. Does your program include expressional as well as 
instructional activities? List the former, and suggest what 
more might be undertaken. The following references 
will be of assistance in this connection: . 

How to Teach Religion, pages 101-107. | 

Organization and Administration of the Sunday School, 
pages 66-78. 

10. Does your Sunday school undertake the bed wel 
religious educational work of the church, or confine itself 
to the traditional Sunday-school activities? For help see 
the following: 

Organization and Administration of Religious Education, 
pages 139-156. 

li. Does your school haye a definite educational policy 
covering a series of years. If so, describe it and suggest 
its points of strength and weakness. How can it be im- 
proved? If you do not have such a policy, what 
steps can be taken to secure one? In this connection 
see 

Organization and Administration of Religious Education, 
pages 60-64. 


RELIGIOUS EDUCATIONAL AIMS 27 


SUGGESTIONS 


The references given in connection with this Problem 
are extensive. Probably no one person or small committee 
can cover all of them. Therefore divide them among Ssev- 
eral individuals or committees. In the case of those 
not mentioned under any particular question, have some 
one report on their contents and possible bearing upon 
the subject of religious educational aims. These reports 
should be brief and to the point, of course. Those who 
make this special preparation should be called upon in 
the discussion for contributions from their references to 
whatever is being considered. The aim should be to bring 
to bear upon the questions as much light as possible from 
the references given herein. 


ADDITIONAL REFERENCES 


Athearn, Walter S. The Church School, Chapter I. 
Cope, Henry F. Religious Education in the Church, Chap- 
ters III and IV. 
Dewey, John. Democracy and Education, especially 
Chapters VIII and IX. 


PROBLEM II 


GRADING, PROMOTION, AND ELIMINATION 
OF PUPILS 


REFERENCES 


Pupil and Teacher, Lesson XII. . 

Organization and Administration of the Sunday School, 
Chapter III. 

Organization and Administration of Religious Education, 
pages 227-242. 


GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS 


Here we come to grips with one of the most perplexing 
and difficult of all Sunday-school problems. For years we — 
paid no attention to the matter of grading the pupils. We 
simply put them in classes or allowed them to congregate 
in classes without much thought about individual likes — 
and differences. But the introduction of the Graded Les- 
sons brought to our atiention the necessity of grouping the. 
pupils according to experience and ability and interests. — 
In recent years, therefore, most Sunday schools have given 
the matter of grading some thought. But it is usually 
quite difficult to actually grade a Sunday school and keep 
it graded. The problems involved will be brought out in 
the questions following. 

Promotion of pupils is still quite new, although many 
schools are beginning to practice it. It is a matter we 
should study carefully. Unless there is an excellent way 
to promote pupils from one grade to another it is difficult 
to keep the school properly graded. A good system of pro- 
motion will do a great deal to keep a school on a high 
level educationally. Consider the place promotion has in 
the public schools. Think of the way the public-school 
teachers work on matters that have to do essentialiy with 

28 


GRADING, PROMOTION, ELIMINATION 29 


promotion of pupils—keeping records, examinations, etc. 
Public school supervisors pay considerable attention to 
the whole business of promotion, and they do so for a 
variety of reasons. It is just as important that we have 
regard for the matter in our Sunday-school work. 

But now we come to something many will say is entirely 
unnecessary—the elimination of pupils. They eliminate 
themselves usually, so why bother with the matter? Better 
eonsider how to prevent elimination, some think. But in 
this section we are not going to propose ways to oust pupils. 
Instead we will undertake to bring out how we can best 
take care of those who move away, “drop out,” withdraw, or 
attend irregularly. One of our great concerns is that of 
“holding the pupils.” Usually, however, we pay little 
attention to those who leave us—we groan in spirit about 
them and let them go! It is time we look at the matter 
squarely and set out to do something about it. 

When you deal with this problem be on a sharp lookout 
for data having good publicity value. One of the most 
difficult aspects of our problem is getting the parents to 
back up any system of grading. They were not graded, 
so they know little about it. We must inform them and 
lead them to understand the why and wherefore of it all. 
To do that we must have “ammunition’—and here is 
where you can get some of that. So study everything 
brought out for its value as publicity material. 

And remember that the chief aim here is to devise ways 
to improve your Sunday school in respect to the subjects 
considered. This schedule is to help you find out your 
present situation, what is desirable, what is possible, and 
how you can initiate efforts that will improve your school. 


12. Why are the pupils of your school in the classes 
you now have? Go over your school carefully and try to 
discover just why your classes are composed as they are. 
How did some of the classes come to be at all? Who 
started them, and how was the membership determined? 


30 HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR SUNDAY SCHOOL 


13. Who assigns your pupils to classes and departments? 
Do you have a “classification secretary” or someone whose 
especial duty is that of placing new pupils in-the proper 
classes? If not, who does that? What are the advantages 
of a classification secretary? What special qualifications 
should such a person have? 

14. What is the basis for your present classification of 
the pupils—age, public-school grade, intellectual develop- 
ment, or “they just want to be where they are”? How 
did you come to have such standards? Do they make for 
the best possible grouping of the pupils? 

15. Make a list of some of the standards considered 
most desirable? Consult the following: 

Organization and Administration of Religious Education, 
pages 230-232. 

16. If you have tried to grade your school, wherein have 
you been successful and wherein have you failed? Give 
the reasons for your success or failure. Go over the ground 
carefully, getting the opinion of as many different people 
as possible. Consult those who were most enthusiastic 
abcut grading the school and worked for it. Also those 
who were lacking in enthusiasm or were opposed to it. 

17. Draw up a plan for grading your school now. Go 
into details. Secure from your denominational Sunday- 
school agency its printed matter on the subject. Tell your 
denominational Sunday-school leaders your situation—size 
of your school, the kind of a building you have, the teach- 
ers that are available, etc. Then ask them for suggestions 
about a plan for grading your school. After you receive 
this help, proceed to group your pupils according to the 
standards suggested. When that is done you are ready 
to ask: “What’s the matter with the plan? Why can we 
not go ahead and work it?’ What are the difficulties and 
how can they be overcome? Hunt for every possible objec- 
tion, and then get an answer to it. 

18. What are the chief arguments for grading your 
school? List them in the order of their importance. Are 


GRADING, PROMOTION, ELIMINATION 31 


they worth publishing for the information of the parents 
of your pupils? If you think they are, devise a way to 
get them to those parents. Point out just how the parents 
can help the school make a success of any effort made 
to grade its pupils and work. 

19. Do you promote your pupils from class to class, 
and from department to department? If so, what is the 
basis for such promotion? Do the pupils have to pass an 
examination, finish a course of study, or merely spend so 
much time in each class or division? Do you promote them 
regardless of how well or how poorly they have done 
the work? 

20. What are the particular advantages of promoting 

the pupils? Get some of your public-school teachers to 
give their answers to that question. Also have some of 
your classes of pupils of high-school age answer it. What 
do the reading references give in this connection? 
' 21. Do you give special recognition to those who do 
their work satisfactorily? That is, when a pupil finishes 
a course and has done good work in it, do you give him a 
certificate, a material reward, some public recognition, 
or something of the kind? What are the advantages of 
doing that? For help here read 

Organization and Administration of the Sunday School, 
pages 30-32. 

22. How often can you have promotions in your school? 
What determines their frequency? When js the best time 
for a yearly promotion—Children’s Day or Rally Day? 
Why? 

23. Do you emphasize promotions, making them promi- 
nent in the work of the school? Would such emphasis 
help or hinder the work of your school? Why? What 
would probably be the effect upon the pupils’ interest 
and enthusiasm? 

24. Do your teachers remain stationary, the pupils mov- 
ing on to another teacher, or do they go right along with 
the pupils when the latter are promoted to another grade 


32 HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR SUNDAY SCHOOL 


or course of study? Is your present method a deliberately 
adopted policy, or have you just drifted into it? 

25. How does a pupil become a member of your school? 
If you have not adopted a definite method of enrollment, 
why not do so now? In what different ways might a pupil 
be enrolled? Devise a way for your school, giving reasons 
for each point. 

26. How do you remove the name of a pupil from your 
records? How does a pupil cease being a member of your 
school? If you have no definite policy in this matter, 
draw up a plan covering the subject. 

27. How do you follow up those dropped, achoveee or 
withdrawn from your school? What provision does your 
denomination make for following up pupils who remove to — 
other communities? Do you observe those provisions? If 
you have no policy in this matter draw up a plan cover- 
ing it. 

28. Reviewing your answers to the foregoing questions, 
what definite recommendations can be made for making 
changes for the better in your methods of grading, pro- 
moting, and eliminating pupils? What is desirable? What 
can probably be accomplished? 


SUGGESTIONS 


There is an extensive literature on the. subject of 
grading, both principles and methods. In the “Additional 
References” you will find materials that will be of value. 
Meyer’s book, The Graded Sunday School in Principle and 
Practice, is the classic on the subject. It is worthy of a 
place in your workers’ library, and can be used to advan- 
tage in preparing this particular report. 


ADDITIONAL REFERENCES 


Meyer, Henry H. The Gruded Sunday School in Prin- 
ciple and Practice, Chapters IV, V, VI, and VII. 
Athearn, Walter S. The Organization and Administra 


GRADING, PROMOTION, ELIMINATION 33 


tion of the Church School, Chapter on “Organization for 
Instruction, Worship, and Service.” 

Cope, Henry F. Efficiency in the Sunday School, Chap- 
ters VI and VII. 

Hurlbut, J. L. Organizing and Building up the Sunday 
School, Chapters III, IV, V. 

Encyclopedia of Sunday Schools and Religious Education. 
Articles on “Difficulties in Relation to Grading,’ by Emile 
Huntly, and “Graded Sunday School,’ by Milton S. Littie- 
field. 


PROBLEM III 
ORGANIZATION AND ADMINISTRATION 


REFERENCES 


Organization and Administration of the Sunday School, 
Chapters III, IX. 

‘Organization and Administration of Religious Education, 
pages 152-156; Chapter X. 

Educational Task of the Local Church, Chapters III, VI. 


GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS 


The whole question of organization and administration 
of the Sunday school is so important that we shouid give 
to it our best thought. On the one hand, it is easy for 
us to become so infatuated with organization that we tend 
to build up a machine without reference to its function. 
On the other hand, our enthusiasm for our own particular 
efforts in the Sunday school may make us indifferent to 
the need of a carefully planned and coordinated organiza- 
tion. It sometimes happens that teachers are so much 
concerned about the work of their particular classes that 
they are either indifferent to or actually resent the intru- 
sion of anything like an organization. Obviously, there 
must be organization. The school is composed of several 
groups differing in ages, programs, methods, etc. The work 
of these groups must be both correlated and coordinated. 
The specific function of organization is to accomplish 
that task. 

In making a survey of the administration and organiza- 
tion of the Sunday school our chief problem is that of 
determining (1) the specific tasks or duties of each officer; 
(2) determining to what extent the offices overlap; (3) 

34 


ORGANIZATION AND ADMINISTRATION 35 


determining how we can eliminate the overlappings; (4) 
and determining the fewest number of officers needed to 
do the work. Frequently we hear the question, “How much 
organization should we have?’ The answer to that ques- 
tion is, “As much as is needed to realize our program, 
and not a bit more.’ Giving people offices as a compli- 
ment is a hazardous business. The idea that it is good 
policy to give everybody a job works out disastrously 
when we begin making jobs which call for officers with 
little if anything to do other than be privileged to attend 
meetings and have a voice and vote in the affairs thereof. 
In Sunday-school management the rule should be “As few 
officers as we can get along with.’ Every officer should 
‘know his duties thoroughly. No officer should have to do 
things that are unrelated to each other—for instance, the 
person who is secretary should not be a teacher. Those 
two jobs are so different that when one person under- 
takes to perform both of them the conflict leads to failure. 

Those who use this survey schedule should be thorough- 
going in their efforts to discover just wherein there are 
duplications and omissions in the organization and admin- 
istration of their school. 


29. Make a list of the officers of the school, entering 
opposite each name the particular duties of the office. 

30. To what extent do the duties of these officers over- 
lap? | 

31. Make a list of the teachers, grouping them accord- 
ing to the age of their pupils. If your school uses the 
Graded Lessons, or has been divided into departments, 
group the teachers as follows: Beginners, Primary, Junior, 
Intermediate, Senior, Young People, and Adults. For 
the approximate ages of those groups see 

Organization and Administration of the Sunday School, 
page 27. 

Organization and Administration of Religious Education, 
page 228. 


36 HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR SUNDAY SCHOOL 


Opposite the name of each teacher write the ages of the 
youngest and oldest pupils of his or her class. | 

32. Does the governing body of your local church have 
a Committee on Sunday Schools? 

For instance, in the Methodist Church that governing 
body is the Quarterly Conference, which is usually organ- 
ized into an Official Board. This body has a Committee 
on Sunday Schools, the function of which is defined in the 
church’s Discipline. However, it frequently happens that 
these committees do not function at all. The question 
arises, Who is responsible for the committee’s failure? Is 
the committee invited to meet with the officers and teachers 
in conference about the work of the school? Does the 
school make any effort to utilize the committee? 

33. Perhaps instead of a Committee on Sunday Schools 
your church has a Committee on Religious Education. 
If so, how is it appointed? To whom is it responsible? 
Does it select the course of study? Does it appoint and 
recall teachers and officers? Does it prepare an annual 
report? 

34. If there is no educational committee, who is respon- 
sible for the administration of the school? How is that 
person or body selected? What are his or its duties in 
detail? 

35. How often do you hold officers’ and teachers’ meet- 
ings? What do you do at those meetings? To what extent 
are the proceedings of those meetings made public to 
school and congregation? ; 

Organization and Administration of Religious Education, 
pages 205-208. 

36. Do you have a director of religious education? 
What special training has he had for the position? Is 
he a paid or volunteer worker? What are his duties in 
detail? To whom is he responsible? Does he do most of 
the work himself or does he delegate and supervise it? To 
what extent is he free to initiate changes in the manage- 
ment of the school? Is he expected to confine his efforts 


ORGANIZATION AND ADMINISTRATION 37 


to the Sunday school or is he a director of all the educa- 
tional work of the church? 

37. Is your school departmentized? List the depart- 
ments, giving the following information about each: Age 
of pupils? Number of males? Number of females? Num- 
ber of classes? Number of regular teachers? Supply 
teachers? How often these teachers meet with the depart- 
ment superintendent for conference? What is done at 
those conferences? What is the average attendance of the 
pupils? Of the regular teachers? If the equipment of 
the department is inadequate, what is needed? If the 
Graded Lessons are not used, why? 

38. What does your pastor do in the administration 
of your school? Does he attend the school sessions? Does 
he teach a class? attend the officers’ and teachers’ meet- 
ings? What does he do in relation to teacher training? 
in relation to selection of teachers? 

39. Who acts as supervisor of the teaching work? 
What regular help is given the teachers along the line of 
supervision? How is it given? See 

Organization and Administration of the Sunday School, 
page 104. 

Organization and Administration of Religious Education, 
pages 198-210. 

40. How long does a teacher remain with the same 
group of pupils? Do you have a fixed policy as to 
whether the teacher moves on with the pupils or remains 
stationary as the teacher of a certain grade? What are 
the advantages and disadvantages of each? Under what 
circumstances are we justified in making exceptions to 
either policy? 

41. At what age and above are the classes organized? 
What are the advantages and disadvantages of organized 
classes as conducted in your school? What is being done 
to improve the work of the organized classes? 

42. To what extent do the Sunday-school officers and 
teachers assume responsibility for week-day activities? 


38 HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR SUNDAY SCHOOL 


43. What week-day activities are promoted? How are 
these related to the work of the Sunday school? 

44. What efforts are made to coordinate the work of | 
the Sunday school, Junior League, Epworth League, and 
other educational work of the church? 

45. What considerations obtain in the selection of offi- 
cers and teachers? What place do character and efiiciency 
have therein? 

46. Is your school organized to get results or give per- 
sons offices? 

47. In what particular respects can the organization 
and administration of your school be improved? How 
can the work of initiating the improvements be launched? 
What shall be undertaken first? second? third?—etc. 


ADDITIONAL REFERENCES 


Athearn, W. S. The Church School. 

Athearn, W. S. Organization and Administration of the 
Chureh School. 

Cope, Henry EF. Efficiency in the Sunday Scheol, Chap- 
ters V, VI, XII. 

Cope, Henry F.. Religious Education in the Church, 
Chapters XX, XXI. 

Cope, Henry F. The Modern Sunday School and Its 
Present-Day Task, Chapters IV, V, VI, VII. 

Meyer, H. H. The Graded Sunday School in Principle 
and Practice, Chapters XVII, XVIII. 


PROBLEM IV 


THE COURSE OF STUDY 


REFERENCES 


Organization and Administration of the Sunday School, 
Chapter IV. 

Organization and Administration of Religious Education, 
pages 74-84; 146-152. 

Social Theory of Religious Education, Chapters IX, XIV. 

Educational Task of the Local Church, Chapter V. 

How to Teach Religion, Chapter VII. 


GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS 


By this time you have probably come to think that. 
every one of these problems is “most important.” It will 
sound hackneyed, therefore, to read once more that the 
problem in hand demands our best thought and effort. 
However that may be, this particular problem is a big 
challenge. The course of study, or curriculum, is the foun- 
dation of our program. It provides what we propose to 
do with and for our pupils. It contains those portions of 
the Bible deemed necessary to promote spiritual develop- 
ment of the pupils. It contains other materials likewise 
deemed necessary for that development—historical, nature, 
and art materials. At present we think of the curriculum 
as including not only the subjects treated in lesson form, 
but also the whole round of activities called ‘‘expressional,” 
“recreational,” and “social service.” The curriculum has 
come to be the biggest problem we have, very largely 
because it is so inclusive. We advise whoever uses this 
schedule to read carefully as many of the references as 
possible. If you have access to other materials, read them 
also. At present a great deal of attention is being given 
to this subject because there is a prevalent dissatisfaction 

39 


40 HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR SUNDAY SCHOOL 


with the available curricula. Professor Stout declares that 
the dissatisfaction rests on the following: “(1) The 
amount of material is not adequate. (2) Much of the 
subject matter being used is not well adapted to the needs, 
interests, and capacities of the children. (3) Its organiza- 
tion into units of instruction is not satisfactory. (4) The 
curricula themselves are loosely organized and do not 
secure proper gradation of work.” (See Organization and 
Administration of Religious Education, page 75.) This 
idea is widely accepted and many of those prominent in 
religious educational efforts are laboring to correct Sark 
existing faults. 

Perhaps no problem will demand more thought and read- 
ing than does this one. Therefore we suggest that an 
abundance of time be given to the preparation of the 
report based upon it. Two or three months is not too 
long a time. Of course, the fact is that -we will never be 
done with curricula improvement. Whoever undertakes 
to prepare the report on this: schedule should be given op- 
portunity to continue the study of the subject over a 
period of years. That committee should be known in 
your school as in charge of the course of study, and every- 
thing possible done to help them in their efforts. 

Obviously, this schedule is not exhaustive. The author’s 
effort has been to suggest the chief items to be considered 
at the beginning. Those using the schedule and reading 
the references will be able later to extend their investiga- 
tions. They will find shortly an abundance of questions 
not raised herein. They should provide a way to note 
these questions as they arise and preserve them for future 
attention. A good system for that is to put each question 
on a 3x5 card, then file the cards according to a set of 
general headings. 


48. Outline your present course of study as follows: 
Make a list of the classes, beginning with the youngest 


iThe Abingdon Press, publishers. 


THE COURSE OF STUDY 41 


and going up to the oldest. After each class place the age 
of the youngest member, the oldest member, the average 
age. Also the name of the course of lessons now used 
and the general aim of that course. 

It will be more convenient to use a large piece of paper 
for this—make a chart 17x22 or 22x84. 

Bring out for use again the charts made as directed 
under Problem III. Place them so it will be easy to com- 
pare with them this new chart. With these charts before 
you, you are ready to proceed with the following ques- 
tions. The charts and references will provide you the 
information sought. 

49. Is there a progressive unity throughout these 
courses? Do the lessons of one year grow out of those 
of the preceding and into those of the next? If a pupil 
“gzoes through” all of them, will he have covered a unified 
course in religious education, so far as lesson materials 
are concerned, or are each year’s lessons an independent 
course by itself? See 

Organization and Administration of the Sunday School, 
page 35. 

Educational Task of the Local Church, pages 58, 59. 

50. Do the lessons of each year take account of the 
preceding experiences of the pupils? To what extent are 
they correlated to the pupil’s experiences in the home, pub- 
lic school, and community? See 

Organization and Administration of Religious Education, 
pages 81-84. 

Social Theory of Religious Education, pages 105-108. 

51. Are the lessons suited to the age of the pupils? 
Go over the list by classes to get an answer to this question. 

Refer to the charts of Problem III. See also 

Organization and Administration of Religious Education, 
pages 77-79; 227-232. 

52. Is the content of the lessons wholly biblical? Is 
there enough of natural, historical, and literary material 
in the lessons to create in the pupil’s mind the impression 


42 HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR SUNDAY SCHOOL 


of continuity between his religious attitudes and the rest 
of his experience? See 

Organization and Administration of Religious Education, 
pages 76-78. 

How to Teach Religion, pages 109-112; 118-128. 

Social Theory of Religious Hducation, pages ee 105; 
113-116. 

53. Do your lessons provide opportunity for the teachers 
to stress the social significance of the Christian ideal, or 
are they concerned mainly with individual salvation with- — 
out reference to social needs and obligations? See 

Social Theory of Religious Hducation, pages 98-101; 
105-110. 

54. Are the lessons arranged with reference to the 
spiritual crises of the pupils? 

A good discussion of these crises is ‘to be found in. 
Childhood and Character, pages 118-133. Some of the 
charts used therein are taken from Coe’s The Spiritual 
Life. 

55. Does the course of study provide materials helpful 
in guiding the pupils in. making religious choices in the 
matter of their lifework? At what age are these materials 
introduced? 

At present we are merely beginning to study this niattee: 
Not much of great value about it is available. Paragraph 
8, page 67, Hducational Task of the Local Church, has 
nine lines on the subject. Organization and Administra- 
tion of Religious Education has a few lines more than a 
page—see page 43f. 

56. Do the lessons provide opportunity for expressional 
activities—handwork, social service, etc.? Are the activi- 
ties suited to the age and capacities of the pupils? See 

Organization and Administration of the Sunday School, 
pages 66-78. 

57. Do the lessons lead into week-day activities? Are 
they of such a character that the week-day work can be 
made continuous with the Sunday course of study? See 


THE COURSE OF STUDY 43 


Organization and Administration of Religious Education, 
pages 81-84. 

Educational Task of the Local Church, pages 99, 100. 

58. ‘Are all the lessons prescribed, or are some of them 
elective? If the latter, at what age are the pupils per- 
mitted to elect what they wish to study? How is the 
whole matter of electing courses handled? 

59. What courses are recognized by the public schools 
as worthy of credit? 

A great deal is being done at present in the way of 
high-school credit for work done in the church schools. 
The methods differ in the various States. Consult your 
local superintendent of schools for information about your 
own State. See 

Education Task of the Local Church, pages 98, 99. 

Organization and Administration of Religious Education, 
pages 115-122. 

60. What has been your experience with the Graded 
Lessons? How do you account for that experience? Are 
the troublesome factors still in existence? What has been 
done to remove them? What stands in the way now to 
prevent the introduction or extension of the Graded Les- 
sons in your school? See 

Organization and Administration of the Sunday School, 
pages 41-44, ' 

61. What should be done immediately to improve the 
course of study? How can you proceed to initiate the 
needed improvements? 

Work out your plan in detail, fixing dates for the doing of 
certain things. Anticipate as far as possible all of the 
difficulties and point out how they may be overcome or 
prevented. 


ADDITIONAL REFERENCES 


Dewey, John. The Child and the Curriculum. 
Dewey, John. Interest and Effort. 
Dewey, John. The School and Society. 


44 HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR SUNDAY SCHOOL 


Haslett, S. B. Pedagogical Bible School, Part Ii. 

Bower, W. C. The Reconstruction of the Curriculum, 
Religious Education, June, 1917. 

McMurry, Charles A. Teaching by Peon 

Branom, Wendel EH. The Project Method in Education. 


PROBLEM V 


PHYSICAL EQUIPMENT 


REFERENCES 


Organization and Administration of the Sunday School, 
pages 118-134. 

Organization and Administration of Religious Education, 
pages 275, 276. 


_ GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS 


Probably no part of our whole task is so perplexing as 
is that of physical equipment. This is so largely because 
of financial expenses. It always costs a great deal either 
_ to remodel old buildings or build new ones. The expense 
of providing furnishings is always heavy. Usually there is 
scarcely enough money with which to buy the necessities 
of the Sunday school, therefore any plan or idea that calls 
for an investment in buildings and additional furnishings 
awakens either active opposition or despair. 

However, one of the most important phases of our prob- 
lem is that of physical equipment. We realize this to-day 
as perhaps never before. It is manifest that if the public 
schools require the new buildings and equipment we are 
providing to-day, our religious educational efforts make 
similar demands. Even where little attention has been 
given to the subject of religious education the workers 
realize that physical equipment has a great deal to do with 
the success of their efforts. The number of rooms avail- 
able for use, their location, lighting, ventilation, decora- 
tions, and the suitability of their furnishings are matters 
the importance of which is obvious. 

In handling this particular schedule it is desirable that 
we be very practically minded. It is easy for us to draft 

45 


46 HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR SUNDAY SCHOOL 


what would be the ideal. If we had sufficient money, no 
doubt we could go ahead and provide our churches with 
physical equipments that would be adequate. But not 
very many places are blest with sufficient money, therefore 
we will have to let alone the ideal and attend strictly to 
the practical and probable. Whoever uses this schedule 
should take into account with great care the exact financial 
resources of their church. Obviously, it will be a waste 
of time to make proposals that involve an expense beyond 
the reach of our people. Therefore let us keep our feet on 
the ground. The encouraging fact is that many churches _ 
can improve their physical equipment for educational uses 
without a great outlay of money. In many cases we are 
not making the best of use of what we already have. In | 
such instances the immediate task is to review carefully 
what we have and how we are using it, and then devise 
ways and means for putting to the Neca possible uses the 
existing facilities. 

Nearly all of the denominations provide suggestions 
about physical equipment through their Boards of Sunday 
Schools or general committees on religious education. 
Sunday-school workers should write to their denominational 
agencies for their literature on the subject. 


BUILDING 


62. What rooms are available for educational work? 
Describe their location and size. List the activities pro- 
moted in each room. Insert in your record a drawing 
of the floor plan of your church. 

Make drawings of other churches in the community or 
near-by towns. Compare these and your own plant with 
the plans suggested as meeting modern requirements. 

63. Are the schoolrooms separated from the auditorium 
by solid walls or movable partitions? : 

If your partitions are not sound-proof, how might you 
overcome the difficulties occasioned thereby? 

64. What is the total floor space available for educa- 


PHYSICAL EQUIPMENT 47 


tional work? How much does that allow per pupil? (The 
public schools allow 15 square feet per pupil.) 

65. To what extent do you make the educational rooms 
do double duty—have different groups use them at different 
times? 

This suggests a two-session school—something practiced 
in some places. One section of the school meets in the 
morning and another section in the afternoon. Again, in 
most churches the Sunday-school rooms are used during 
the week for various purposes. How much and for what 
purposes do you use the various Sunday-school rooms of 
your church? 

66. Describe the auditorium of your church as to size, 

cheerfulness, beauty, and worshipfulness. (If you have a 
Sunday-school auditorium, describe it also in respect to 
those items.) . 

Be careful to point out wherein these auditoriums help 
or hinder a worshipful attitude. How about the decorations 
—their color, orderliness, cleanliness, etc.? COE the 
various auditoriums in your community. 

67. Does your school use the church auditorium? How 
and when? 

If your church auditorium is beautiful and induces a 
worshipful attitude, what are the objections to using it 
occasionally by the different departments for their opening 
services? What would be gained by so doing, using the 
organ and a choir? 

68. If you have a gymnasium, describe its size, loca- 
tion, equipment, and uses. 

Do you use your gymnasium to “draw” people to your 
church and school, or to train them in Christian living? 
What are the differences? 

69. Do you have a room that can be used for dramatics 
in religious education? Describe its size, location, and 
equipment. To what extent is it used for dramatics? For 
other activities? 

The use of dramatics in education is becoming preva- 


48 HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR SUNDAY SCHOOL 


lent. The literature on the subject is at present to be 
found chiefly in periodicals like The Church School. In 
connection with this question consider whether you have 
a room that could be equipped with a modest stage, and 
what would be involved in doing so. If you know of 
a church that has a stage, find out about its uses and 
value. Write The Church School for the latest informa- 
tion on the subject of dramatics. 

70. Which departments have separate rooms? yee they 
arranged so that separate worship programs can be pro- 
moted? Can they be so arranged? Which classes have 
separate rooms? 

Why do some classes or departments have the rooms 
they do? Which classes or departments have the best 
located, lighted, and decorated rooms? How were your 
classes or departments assigned to the rooms they occupy? 
Do the adult classes have ‘first call” for the best rooms? 
Why? ae 

71. Do you have a library room? Can such a room be 
provided? 

72. Do you have a room that can be used as an office 

for the general superintendent and secretaries? 
- What particular advantages are there in having such 
an office? If you have a room that could be used for an 
office, what is necessary to equip it and begin using it? 
Count up the cost and prepare a list of the articles and 
labor needed. 

73. Conclude your work on this section by preparing 
a detailed plan of how your present building can be (1) 
used to better advantage without structural alterations, 
and (2) how it can be remodeled so as to be of better 
service. If the latter is necessary, get some estimates 
on the probable cost. 


SANITATION AND SAFETY - 


74. Do you have cloak-rooms or special provision for 
taking care of the pupils’ wraps during the school session? 


PHYSICAL EQUIPMENT 49 


What do you do with the umbrellas on wet days? What 
are the advantages of having a room where they can be 
checked? 

75. Are the rooms kept clean and sanitary? Point out 
both defects and excellencies. 

76. How are they lighted? Is there sufficient light 
properly arranged? 

If your church uses electricity, can you improve the 
lighting of some of your rooms by the use of floor lamps 
made by your own pupils? 

77. How are they heated and ventilated? (The tempera- 
ture should be 68 degrees. The public schools allow 200. 
cubic feet of air space per pupil, and 30 cubic feet of 
pure air per pupil each minute.) 

Do you thoroughly “air-out” your rooms immediately 
before the pupils come? Some janitors ventilate on Mon- 
day or whatever week day is used to clean the church. 
What are the advantages of an airing Sunday morning? 

78. Are there adequate toilet accommodations? Are 
they well kept? Are they well placed? 

As a rule, church toilets are about the most unclean 
of all public toilets. It is a disgrace to have dirty 
toilets in a church. Be thoroughly honest and fearless 
in dealing with this matter. Why? 

79. Are there sufficient exits properly placed and 
marked for emergency use? How many are always ready 
for use. Do you ever have fire drills? 

Why not secure the help of some experienced public 
school teacher in devising and practicing fire drills for 
your school? While very few churches burn when they 
are actually in use, knowing what to do in an emergency 
is desirable. - Further, we are under a responsibility to 
train our pupils in being careful, are we not? 

80. If pupils have been sick to your knowledge, do 
you allow them to enter their classes or departments 
directly without inquiry as to their condition? 

‘Some public schools now require a pupil who has been 


50 HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR SUNDAY SCHOOL 


sick to bring a doctor’s certificate before being readmitted. 
Some have resident or school doctors who examine the 
children. Why should we not be as careful in the Sunday 
school? What would be involved in working a plan of 
health-examinations in your school? 


EQUIPMENT 


81. Describe the equipment of each room—maps, black- 
boards, tables, chairs, pictures, etc. 

Arrange your findings by rooms and departments. A 
good plan would be to divide the paper into two columns. 


In one place what you have, and opposite it what is — 


recommended as ideal or desirable. 

82. Is the equipment suitable for the children using it? 
Are chairs and tables the right height? the blackboards 
well placed? the pictures suitable? , 

Here you will have to consult the references on the 
specific needs of the different aged groups. See the refer- 
ences under Problem III. Also for some general views 
see Childhood and Character, pages 203-228, which deals 
with “Work and Play” of children—the physiological rela- 
tions and the educational uses of work, play, and recreation. 

83. What provision is made for storing supplies—lesson 
materials, handwork, etc.? Are there cabinets, drawers 
in tables, or closets? What would be involved in provid- 
ing such facilities? 

84. Is there any attempt made to carry out a color 
scheme in the furnishings and decorations of the rooms? . 

Of what particular advantage is “harmony” in these 
matters? What are the educational advantages of pleasant 
and beautiful rooms and furnishings? To what extent do 
the public or private schools your pupils attend week- 
days strive to have beautiful rooms and surroundings? 
What obligations do their efforts place on you? 

85. What is done with surplus materials? 

What do you do with the “extra” and unused lesson 
supplies, papers, etc.? Are they kept for future years, 


PHYSICAL EQUIPMENT 51 


or given to other schools? Do you see that absent pupils 
receive their papers and lesson materials? In many schools 
there is a tremendous waste due to inaccurate ordering 
of supplies. How can that be prevented? 

86. To what extent does the school provide Bibles? 
When are they provided? Are they left in the rooms? 

Does the use of torn and badly worn Bibles promote 
respect or reverence for the Book? Do you make it a 
custom to give the pupils Bibles for certain attainments, 
or when they have reached a certain place in their course? 

87. To what extent is the school supplied with models, 
sand-tables, stereographs, stereopticon, moving picture 
machine, etc.? 

88. To what extent does the school provide note-books, 
pencils, trays, modeling materials, etc.? Do your public 
schools provide all books and working materials free? 

89. Have you a church-school library? How many vol- 
umes? How often are new books added, and how are 
they selected? 

If you have a local public library, or your State main- 
tains a circulating library, to what extent do you use 
them? Could you delegate to certain groups the task of 
caring for your library or providing funds for new books? 
Do you give the pupils a voice in the matter of the books 
to be added? Can that be done? How? 

90. Have you a Workers’ Library? How many volumes? 
How often are new books added and how are they selected? 

This is a most important matter. There are scores of 
good books on the subject of religious education. Many 
of them are too expensive for each worker to own copies— 
that is especially true of books like Bible dictionaries, 
Bible geographies, and other reference books. The books 
used in this book as references form the beginnings of a 
good Workers’ Library. 

91. To what extent does the public library meet the 
needs of pupils and workers? 

92. What song books are used in each department? Are 


52 HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR SUNDAY SCHOOL. 


the songs used within the understanding of the pupils? 
Are they sound in their teachings? Are the tunes “jingles” 
or good music? Do the words make sense? Do the songs 
promote reverence or a spirit of hilarity? 

There are several excellent song books available now. 
Sample copies can be secured from the publishers for 
inspection. For an up-to-date list of these books write 
the editors of The Church School, 150 Fifth Avenue, 
New York. 

93. What is done with the finished work done by the 
pupils—their handwork, maps, models, etc.? Is it ever put 
on exhibition? When and how? 

Many churches are making Children’s Day not only the 
occasion for the annual promotions, but also for an exhi- 
bition of the year’s work of the school. Charts telling of 
the plans, policy, and program of the departments, together 
with the handwork done by the pupils, are exhibited. At 
certain times the pupils may do some dramatizing of some 
of their work. A week or several days can be devoted to 
the effort, letting it culminate in the service on Children’s 
Day. The parents can also be acquainted through charts 
and posters with the program of the school and the 
unmet needs. 

94. Have you a Committee on Equipment whose espe- 
cial duty is to make a study of the subject and recommend 
what is needed? Or do you leave that to the department 
heads? 

95. What are the specific needs of your school along 
the lines indicated by this report? | 

96. Which of those needs should your school undertake 
to meet immediately? 

97. What steps can be taken to meet those needs 
immediately? 


PROBLEM VI 
OPENING AND CLOSING SERVICES 


REFERENCES 


Organization and Administration of the Sunday School, 
Chapters V, VIII. 


GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS 


In recent years a change has taken place in our think- 
ing about the way we begin and close the Sunday-school 
session. This change is of a fourfold nature and can be 
stated thus: 

First, what we formerly called “opening and closing 
exercises’ we now term ‘opening and closing services.” 

Second, we now think of these services as something 
with a purpose that has to do with training more than 
with entertaining. Too frequently we have acted as though 
the opening and closing services were chiefly to amuse 
people. We insisted on using song books that contain 
songs “full o’ pep,” and devised programs that were 
“snappy.” We felt that there “had to be something doing” 
every minute during the opening service—plenty of “cheer” 
and “good-feeling’” and ‘“at-homeness.” Many Sunday 
schools gained wide recognition through their opening serv- 
ices. But the chief value of what was done was that it 
“put them on the map.” Now, we are thinking of the 
opening and closing services as having to do essentially 
with training the pupils in definite ways. They are educa- 
tional means and not ends in themselves. 

Third, we now think of these services as having to do 
with definite attitudes which are favorable to instruction 
and right living. Professor Hugh Hartshorne presents 
in his book, Worship in the Sunday School, the following 

53 


54 HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR SUNDAY SCHOOL 


as desirable attitudes to be cultivated through the opening 
services: loyalty, generosity, courage, reverence, good will. 
These are made the central themes of series of services, 
the prayers, scripture, hymns, and stories or addresses 
stressing them, one at a time, of course. Teachers have 
long recognized that some opening services helped get 
the pupils in a better state of mind for the lesson than 
did others. We take that into account now. ‘We have 
come to believe that those opening minutes should help 
get the pupils into an attitude that would make teach- 
ing easier and more effective. 

Fourth, in line with the preceding, we now consider } 
it best to grade the opening services; that is, that it is 
best to divide the pupils into departments for their open- 
ing and closing services Just as we do for the study of 
the lesson. The songs, prayers, Scripture passages, and 
stories or addresses should meet the needs and capacities 
of the pupils. Instead, therefore, of having one general 
opening service devised chiefly for the adults we will have 
as many separate opening services as there are departments. 
This carries out the idea that these services are educa- 
tional means. 

We suggest that those four prevalent ideas be kept clearly 
in mind as this schedule is being used. They provide 
tests for the practical value of our answers to the follow- 
ing questions. Also, they will help us prove the value of 
any conclusions reached and recommendations made. 


98. At what hour is the session of the Sunday school? 
How long is the session? 

In this connection consider the relative merits of the 
following hours: before the morning service; after that — 
service; an afternoon hour. What are the advantages 
and disadvantages of each? 

99. How much time is given to opening werviinda study 
of the lesson? announcements? closing services? 

How does your division of time compare with the ideas 


OPENING AND CLOSING SERVICES 55 


in Organization and Administration of the Sunday School, 
pages 96, 97? 

100. Does the entire school meet together for the open- 
ing and closing services? What departments have their 
own opening and closing services? 

101. What is the aim of the opening service? The clos- 
ing service? Do the officers and teachers and pupils know 
what those aims are? 

Perhaps these ‘aims’ have never been definitely agreed 
upon. Perhaps one person has conducted the opening and 
closing services without suggestions or directions from 
others. If so, where rests the responsibility? 

102. Do the sessions begin and end on time? Are the 
teachers and officers present on time? How about the 
pupils? What is done to promote punctuality? 

Can you cite specific instances when tardiness of a 
teacher resulted in harm? How about “order” during the 
opening service when the teachers are tardy? 

103. Are the pupils attentive and reverent during the 
opening and closing services? What part do they take 
in those services? 

Be careful here not to confound good behavior and 
attention, for children may be quiet and not attentive. 
Their public-school training may account for their ‘“keep- 
ing still.” 

104. Who leads these services? Does he make regular 
preparation for his work? Are the hymns, etc., selected 
before the hour for beginning arrives? Is the form of 
the opening service varied from time to time, or does it 
remain the same Sunday after Sunday? 

105. Does the leader by his nervousness and “antics” 
promote disorder and restlessness in the pupils? 

Many Sunday schools have disorderly opening and clos- 
ing services chiefly because the leader is of the excitable 
and nervous kind. Why do we always have the superin- 
tendents lead these services without regard to their fitness 
for the task? 


56 HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR SUNDAY SCHOOL 


106. What factors of the opening service promote 
reverence? irreverence? 

Does the janitor prowl about adjusting radiators, aigtes! 
windows? Does your minister roam around greeting folk? 
Does the leader tell “funny stories” or try to “make 
people cheerful”? On several Sundays keep pad and 
pencil handy during the opening service and note whatever 
tends to disturb the service. 

107. Are the prayers adapted to the maioniee of the 
pupils? Who does the praying? To what extent do the 
pupils participate in the prayers? Do you wse a prayer 
book? What prayers do the pupils know? - 

Is it too much to desire that the prayers “have sense” 
and bear directly upon some theme? What are the objec- 
tions to learning and using prayers other than the Lord’s 
Prayer? Have you encouraged the pupils to write prayers? 
Could that be done, then a collection of the prayers be 
used by the school? See 

Organization and Administration of the Sundae School, 
page 60. 

108. What use of the Scriptures is made in the open- 
ing and closing services? How are the passages selected? 
Who reads them? Is the meaning of the passages 
made clear? What is the effect of the use of the Scrip- 
tures? 

Which version of the Bible is used, King James’ or 
American Revised? Do you ever vary by using Weymouth’s, 
Goodspeed’s or Moffatt’s translation of the New Testa- 
ment? See 

Organization and Administration of the Sunday School, 
page 59. 

109. How are the songs selected? Is the meaning of 
the songs made clear? Are the pupils trained in singing? 
Are they taught the great hymns of Christendom? Do you 
have a choir? an orchestra? What devotional and educa- 
tional effect is aimed at in the instrumental music, and 
is it attained? See 


OPENING AND CLOSING SERVICES 57 


Organization and Administration of the Sunday School, 
pages 58, 59. 

110. Is the lesson reviewed from the desk? Is that 
needed? Who does it? Is preparation made for the review? 
What is the attitude of the pupils toward the review? 
What is the relation of the review to the class work? 
How long is the review? Could something more profitable 
be substituted for this review? What? 

111. What is the attitude of the pupils toward the 
reports and notices? 

Do you use a blackboard or chart or some means of 
putting the reports before the eyes of the school? Children 
find it hard to follow figures read to them. Can we 
use charts that show by lines of differing lengths, the 
standing of the school in matters of enrollment, attend- 
ance, punctuality, etc.? 

112. Is there an address during the opening service? 
If so, what is its character? Who makes it? Does it 
ever take the form ofa story? What is the attitude of 
the pupils toward the address? The story? See 

Organization and Administration of the Sunday School, 
page 60. 

118. Is the business of the school, taking of records, 
distribution of books and supplies, etc., so arranged as not 
to interfere with the worship period? 

Devise a way that will not interfere. 

114. In what respects can your opening services be im- 
proved? Your closing services? 

Draft in detail plans for your school. If it meets by 
departments prepare plans for each department. Make 
specific suggestions in line with your answers to the preced- 
ing questions. 

115. How can you begin to make such improve- 
ments? What can be done first? How should that be fol- 
lowed up? 

Here outline how the proposed improvements can be 
initiated. Which can be undertaken first, second, ete. 


58 HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR SUNDAY SCHOOL 


ADDITIONAL REFERENCES 


Cope, Henry F. Religious Education in the Church, 
Chapters V, VI. 

Hartshorne, Hugh. Worship in the Sunday School. 

Meyer and Kennedy. Training of the Devotional Life. 


PROBLEM VII 


RECORDS AND REPORTS 


REFERENCES 


Organization and Administration of the Sunday School, 
pages 107-112. 


GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS 


In too many churches we do not take the work of the 
Sunday-school secretary seriously enough. Frequently we 
select for that office young persons whom we wish to “hold” 
in the church. Without any special instruction they are 
inducted into office. Their chief business is to keep the 
books and do the work as it has been done for years. As 
a consequence what is done usually amounts to little more 
than keeping an accurate record of the collections and a 
more or less accurate record of the attendance. In some 
schools to this is added a more or less accurate enroll- 
ment, but for the most part this latter is not stressed. _ 

The secretary has a valuable contribution to make to 
the work of the school. His efforts provide us informa- 
tion valuable in determining the effectiveness of our work. 
While it is true that there is danger of overestimating 
the work of statistics, it is equally true that statistics are 
highly serviceable when they are accurate and rightly 
used. More and more we are coming to realize that the 
religious educational obligation of the local church extends 
to every child and young person of its constituency. Also, 
that that obligation of the communities’ churches collec- 
tively includes every child and youth of the community. 
But how many children and youth are there, and who are 
they? Again, that responsibility involves regular instruc- 
tion. Not merely how many attend the Sunday school with 
fair regularity but who in particular attends is a matter 

59 


60 HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR SUNDAY SCHOOL 


we should Know about. Further, it is not enough for us 
to know what is being taught our children and youth now; 
we also should have a record of what has been taught them 
in the past. Keeping those and the other records of a 
similar nature is the work of the secretary. 

Several churches engaged at present in a modern re- 
ligious educational effort are giving a great deal of time 
and attention to the matter of records and reporis. Notable 
among these are the Congregational Church, Oberlin, Ohio, 
and the School of Religion in connection with Union Theo- 
logical Seminary, New York city. Mr. Ralph M. McEntire, 
Topeka, Kansas, has not only written a book on the sub- 
ject, but is, and has been for a number of years, working 
on the subject. Nearly all of our denominational publishing 
houses have special literature on the work of the Sunday- 
school secretary, and also are prepared to supply blank 
forms arranged in accordance with the literature approved 
by the denominational agencies. In using this schedule, 
you will be helped by having at hand copies of those 
blanks. For a sum sufficient to cover the cost, most 
churches are willing to provide sets of the blanks they 
use. The Officer, a monthly periodical published by The 
Methodist Book Concern and dealing especially with prac- 
tical methods of Sunday-school administration, publishes 
from time to time short articles and descriptions of secre- 
tarial systems. By writing to the editor of that publica- 
tion, 420 Plum Street, Cincinnati, Ohio, copies of numbers 
having articles on the work of the secretary can be 
secured. The Church School occasionally carries articles 
on the same subject. If you do not have access to files 
of that. magazine, write to its editors, 150 Fifth Avenue, 
New York city. . 

It is very desirable to have for a secretary someone 
able and willing to make the work of that office his or her 
especial task. Whoever is secretary certainly should have 
no other responsibilities in either Sunday school or church. 
The work of this office, even in the smallest of schools, 


RECORDS AND REPORTS 61 


is large enough to demand a great deal of time and effort. 
What has been done to date in devising forms and systems 
is by no means final. There remain abundant oppor- 
tunities for improvement, and we should make it 
thoroughly clear to those acting as secretaries of our Sun- 
day schools that the field is not only large but wide open 
for improvements. 


116. When a pupil enters the school what information 
is obtained for his individual record? Do you use an 
application blank? : 

“Most of the denominational publishing houses or Sunday- 
school agencies will provide you samples of their available 
blanks for use in this connection. 

117. Is acard index kept? Are family data secured for 
the cards? 

By “family data” is meant information about the other 
members of the pupils’ family—the occupation of the father, 
church membership of the various members of the fam- 
ily, etc. 

118. Is an individual record of the work of each pupil 
kept? What items are included therein? Is the record 
cumulative through the years? 

In most schools using a modern system of records this 
is known as the “Individual Record” card or blank. 

119. If the pupil removes, does your record show what 
became of him? Whether or not he was introduced to 
another school? 

We lose many pupils from the church school every year 
through our failure to follow them up when they move 
from one community to another. How can you help stop 
the leak? 

120. What items are reported to the secretary each 
week? Who makes the report to the secretary? How are 
they delivered to the secretary? 

121. How much time is taken from the class period to 
make up the weekly report? Is that too much? 


62 HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR SUNDAY SCHOOL 


122. Are the weekly reports summarized by montas, 
quarters, and years? 

123. Are they presented in a comparative manner to 
show the growth of the school, the increase or decrease of 
the various items, and to make evident the educational im- 
plications thereof? 

124. Are the reports read each week? What items are 
stressed? What is the educational value of these weekly 
reports? 

What do the pupils do while the reports are peing read? 
How have you tried to make the presentation of the reports 
interesting to the pupils? . 

125. How does the superintendent or supervisory com- 
mittee. make use of the statistics of the secretary in 
testing the worth of educational policies, materials, or 
methods? 

126. How often and to whom does each officer and 
teacher render a report of his work? What is done with 
these reports? 

127. If you have an annual exhibit, ti use is made 
of the records and reports? Do you present the data by 
means of charts, graphs, etc.? 

128. Does your school take the work of the secretary 
seriously? Is there an emphasis on accuracy in rendering 
reports and data for the records? 

129. Are the reports of your Sunday school as published 
in your church’s Year Book accurate or just estimates 
or guesses? 

130. Have you examined the official record books and 
supplies published by your denominational publishing 
house? Do you use them? If not, why not? 

131. What should be done immediately to improve your 
system of records and reports? 

Secure samples of blanks and methods issued by your 
denominational agencies. Make some specific recommenda- 
tions, showing what is involved in the way of expense and 
effort to carry them out. 


RECORDS AND REPORTS 63 


ADDITIONAL REFERENCES 


Cope, Henry F. The Modern Sunday School and Its 
Present-Day Task, Chapter XXIII. 

McEntire, Ralph M. The Sunday School Secretary. 

Encyclopedia of Sunday Schools and Religious Education, 
Articles on “System of Registration” and ‘Statistical Meth- 
ods for the Sunday School,” by Hugh Hartshorne; “Sunday 
School Secretary,’ by Lavinia Tallman. 


PROBLEM. VIII 


WEEK-DAY ACTIVITIES © 


REFERENCES 


Organization and Administration of the Sunday School, 
pages 142-144. 

Organization and Administration of Religious Education, 
pages 71-74; Chapter VI; page 140f. 

Educational Task of the Local Church, Chapter VIII. 


GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS 


Of all the problems considered herein this one will prob- 
ably be least satisfactory so far as results are concerned. 
Our experience in week-day work is very limited, conse- 
quently the opinions about it are numerous and diverse. At 
the present time it partakes of the nature of afad. It is so 
popular that many churches feel that unless they have 
something that can be called week-day work they are 
hopelessly outclassed. Therefore there is a great deal of 
straining and striving to promote something or other that 
will class as week-day work. The futility of many of 
these efforts is quite apparent when we subject them to 
an honest criticism. For the most part we find that instead 
of improving the quality of the religious educational pro- 
gram of the local church we simply multiply the evils. 
All too frequently the week-day work is no improvement 
at all on the Sunday-school work. The faults of the latter 
effort are duplicated in the week-day efforts. Practically 
the same thing is done during the week that is done on 
Sunday, and in the same way. 

When you come to deal with this Problem the chief 
task awaiting you is that of deciding which of two courses 
it is probably better to follow. On the one hand, we can 

64 


WEEK-DAY ACTIVITIES 65 


devise a program of week-day activities independent of 
everything else existing at the present time. We can 
ignore whatever is being done in the Sunday school, clubs, 
societies, organizations, etc., now operating, and set up 
another organization with a program of its own. We can 
do this either as a local church operating independently 
or in cooperation with other churches in a so-called com- 
munity effort. On the other hand, instead of setting up 
another organization and program we will attempt extend- 
ing the work of the Sunday school. It is easy to discover 
just wherein our present Sunday-school efforts fall short 
because we do not have sufficient time for their promo- 
tion. Most of the things we attempt to do in the Sunday 
school have to be cut short, and many other things we 
ought to try to do cannot be started at all, just because 
we do not have enough time. Now we can begin with 
our best Sunday-school opportunity. We can discover its 
shortcomings, and how those shortcomings can be elimi- 
nated, if we can have the pupils for a greater period of 
time than we have at present. If we follow this course, 
it means that we come to grips first of all with our Sunday- 
school problem, putting forth every possible effort to im- 
prove its program. What is done through the week, then, 
will be efforts to carry out effectively the program of the 
Sunday _ school. 

As will readily be recognized, if we follow the second 
course, instead of having a Sunday school we have a church 
school with a Sunday session and week-day sessions. But 
we will have started to get such a church school by utilizing 
the existing and already functioning Sunday-school organi- 
zation. What is done through the week is under the same 
general organization as is the work of the Sunday session. 

In the following schedule we have suggested little more 
than a general survey of the existing literature and the 
work now being done. Your chief task, in the light of 
our experience, is that of becoming acquainted with what is 
written on the subject and the experiments being made. 


66 HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR SUNDAY SCHOOL 


We wish to caution you about being too hasty in reaching 
conclusions and formulating plans for week-day work. Our 
own opinion is that in most churches our Sunday schools 
provide us with abundant opportunity to use all available 
energy and ability. That the Sunday school can be greatly 
improved at many points is easily discoverable. Unless, 
therefore, we have an excess of talent and time, before 
launching a week-day work as such, we should give our 
closest attention and our best effort to making what we do 
at the Sunday session as good as possible. 


132. What particular activities necessary or desirable. 
for a rounding out of your pupils’ religious education can- 
not be promoted at the Sunday school session? Have each 
teacher provide a list covering her class. Arrange these by 
departments. Group them under two heads: Instruction 
activities, or those centering chiefly in the use of books or 
printed materials; Training activities, or those of the 
expressional sort. ha . 3 

133. Make a list of your present week-day activities— 
clubs, societies, organizations, etc., which meet and do their 
work or play on week days. After each place the upper and 
lower age limits of the members; the purpose of the organi- 
zation; and how it is related to your Sunday school. 

134. If your church or community is engaged in a week- 
day work, describe it in detail under these heads: (1) The 
pupils: age, relation to your Sunday school, regularity of 
attendance at week-day sessions, and apparent interest in 
the work; (2) Course of study: textbooks or courses used, 
time spent on them, their relation to the courses used on 
Sunday; (3) Activities: recreation, social service, manual 
works and their relation to the Sunday-school work. 

135. If you have not tried any week-day work, secure the 
report suggested in the preceding question about the work 
of some church or churches that have. Many churches 
have done something and their efforts have been reported. 
See Organization and Administration of Religious Hduca- 


WEEK-DAY ACTIVITIES 67 


_ tion, pages 133-138, for references to a few community week- 
day schools. Get into personal touch with churches near 
you that have done something. Report their program. 

136. Taking your answer to question 135, which of those 
activities can you probably carry on with your present 
building equipment? 

137. To promote week-day activities what arrangements 
must be made with your public-school officials and teachers? 

138. To promote week-day work what teachers would be 
necessary? To what extent can you supply them? What 
must be their training or ability? See Organization and 
Administration of Religious Education, pages 185-193. Does 
this apply to week-day teachers as well as to Sunday-school 
teachers? 

189. From your reading on the subject what are the 
chief problems of week-day work in your church and 
community? 

140. Draw up a tentative plan for week-day work which 
includes the following: (1) Correlation with your Sunday- 
school course of study; (2) Manual work; (3) Play; (4) 
Dramatization; (5) Social service; (6) Cooperation with 
public schools. 

Try to keep your plan within the limits of probability. 
Indicate its points of great difficulty. Show how it could 
be worked out gradually. 


ADDITIONAL REFERENCES 


Cope, Henry F. The School in the Modern Church. 
McKibben, Frank M. The Community Training School. 
Cope, Henry F. The Week-Day Church School. 


PROBLEM IX 
TRAINING TEACHERS AND OFFICERS 


REFERENCES 


Organization and Administration of the Sunday School, 
pages 102-105. : 

Educational Task of the Local Church, Chapter IV. 

Organization and Administration of Religious Education, 
page 154, Chapters VIII, IX. 

New Program of Religious Education, pages 99, 100. 

How to Teach Religion, Chapter I. 


GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS 


Perhaps this problem should have been considered first, 
because what we have been doing thus far is in reality 
a teacher-training work. We have been studying our par- 
ticular school for the purpose of discovering how we can — 
work more effectively in improving it. In this study 
undoubtedly we have discovered some things that have 
made us better workmen. As stated in the introductory 
chapters, the best kind of training effort is that which 
deals directly with immediate and practical problems. So 
far this is just what you have been doing. This schedule, 
therefore, will serve especially as a means to help you 
check up on the method used so far. Herein you will 
perhaps determine why you have done some things and 
how you might have done them better. 

We will treat together the officers and teachers. While 
it is true that the work of the officers is radically different 
from that of the teachers, they ought to be familiar with 
the essentials of the teachers’ work. The chief work in 
the Sunday school is that of the teacher. Everything else 
is secondary to that. The school exists for the one pur- 

68 


TRAINING THEACHERS AND OFFICERS 69 


pose of teaching. That is why we call it a school. Organi- 
zation and administration problems find their goal in 
the teachers’ work. We have organization and administra- 
tion not for their own sake but for the sake of the teachers. 
The officers are to help provide conditions favorable and 
helpful to the teaching work of the school. The final 
test for any organization or administration idea or plan 
is whether or not it contributes to the teaching function of 
the school. It sometimes happens that we select a super- 
intendent because he is ‘good with children.” We make 
a mistake if we apply to the superintendent no other 
test than that. The biggest test to be applied is this: Is 
this person able to help the teachers of the school do 
their best possible work? The same test can be applied to 
every officer. 

We suggest that the opening chapters of this book be 
reread in connection with this schedule. What is said 
therein sets forth in more detail our views on teacher train- 
ing, especially when’ we are dealing with present officers 
and teachers. 

Further, we suggest that considerable attention be given 
to the questions dealing with the training of our young 
people for work in the church school. Frankly, to date we 
have not been highly successful in this field. While many 
young people have enrolled in teacher-training classes, a 
great many have fallen by the wayside and never become 
teachers. The ‘mortality rate’ in this group is exceedingly 
high. What has been your own experience in this connec- 
tion? How many of the young people of your church who 
have taken teacher-training work have either completed 
the course or become teachers in a Sunday school?’ 

Another matter to which we should attend is that of 
training for work in our Sunday school those mothers and 
fathers whose children have reached an age that makes it 
possible for them to give some time to church work. In 
nearly every church there are married people who, when 
young and unmarried, worked in the Sunday school. The 


70 HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR SUNDAY SCHOOL . 


first ten or fifteen years of their married life are occupied 
chiefly with the establishment of their homes. The com- 
ing of children and their care takes these parents out of 
active participation in the Sunday school. Later, how- 
ever, they have time to resume church work. Will we do 
the same kind of training with them that we did with 
young and unmarried persons? What would be the chief 
differences? Canvass this whole situation thoroughly. ~ 

Obviously, we have not exhausted the subject in the fol- 
lowing schedule. Whoever uses it will be able to add other 
questions, and make their reports cover more ground than 
is included herein. You should undertake to do that. 


141. How many of your teachers are men? How many 
are women? Do you try to have men teachers for boys, 
and women teachers for girls? Why? 

142. How many of your teachers have taken any special 
training for their work? List your teachers, and after 
each name state just what his or her training has been? 

143. Have you ever had a training class for present. 
teachers? How many attended regularly? What was done 
at those training classes? What was the effect on the 
teachers? The school? 

144. Do you have a class of young people in training 
for teachers? How many men? Women? When does the 
class meet? What course is it studying? Who teaches it? 
Is that teacher a graduate of a teacher-training course? 
Has he had training of any kind to teach? What does 
this class promise in the way of teachers for your school— 
how many will probably become teachers? 

145. Are formal graduation services of the training 
classes held? When? What is done at them? What is the 
value of such graduation services? 

146. Has any attempt been made to make the monthly 
meetings of the officers and teachers a training project? 
How could the programs of those meetings be arranged 
so that a minimum of time would be devoted to routine 


TRAINING TEACHERS AND OFFICERS 71 


business, and the major part of the time given to a dis- 
cussion of topics bearing on teaching? How can the regular 
business be done by an executive committee? 

147. Who supervises the teaching? How is it done? 
What is the value? What is the attitude of the teachers 
toward such supervision? 

148. To what extent do the present teachers use the 
books of the Workers’ Library of religious educational 
books in the public library? What is done to encourage 
such use? How are new books brought to the attention 
of the teachers? 

149. Are demonstrations in teaching ever given? Are 
the ablest teachers used to give these demonstrations? 
How are these demonstrations followed up? 

150. Are the teachers given opportunity to visit and 
observe good teachers in other schools? Are such teachers 
- ever brought to your teachers’ meetings to give addresses 
and demonstrations? 

151. If you have a Community Training Class how 
many of your present teachers attend? What courses do 
they take? In what particular ways have the Community 
Training Classes benefited your school? 

152. At what age do the young people enter the train- 
ing classes? How are they selected? What appeal is made 
for them to enter such a class? 

153. Are these young people called upon to do supply 
teaching? Who directs and controls their practice teaching? 

154. What should be done by your school to insure a 
sufficient supply of teachers for the years to come? How 
can that be initiated? 

155. What have you done in the way of officer train- 
ing? What are the advantages of having an assistant to 
every officer—a person who would understudy the work 
of that officer and become prepared to take the place later 
on? What are the advantages of having regular meetings 
of the officers by themselves? 

156. If you have followed either wholly or in part the 


72 HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR SUNDAY SCHOOL 


plan of this book, in what particular ways has. your school 
been benefited? Now is a good time to check up on the 
work done thus far. Go over the work to date and point 
out wherein it has resulted in definite benefits or improve- 
ments; also, wherein it has failed and could have been 
done better. Is this plan worth trying again on a larger 
scale? 


ADDITIONAL REFERENCES 


Secure the printed matter issued by your denominational 
Sunday-schoo] headquarters. The Sunday school associa- 


tion of your city or State will also Sunny you with mate- 


rials of value. 


PROBLEM X 


SECURING THE COOPERATION OF THE HOME 
AND CHURCH 


REFERENCES 


Educational Task of the Local Church, page 91. 

Organization and Administration of the hate School, 
Chapter XII. 

New Program of Religious Education, pages 100-103. 


GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS 


Every Sunday-school teacher knows that her work suf- 
fers more from the lack of home cooperation than from 
anything else. The children have their ideals determined 
pretty largely in the home. Often it happens that the ideals 
for which a teacher has labored during a whole period 
have been shattered at the dinner table by a casual remark 
of the father or mother. Again, to what avail is our 
effort to secure the pupil’s allegiance to ideals that their 
parents neither accept nor practice? Not until we have the 
fullest possible cooperation between our parents and the 
Sunday school will we be able to do our best work in 
religious education. 

This particular schedule deals not only with securing 
the cooperation of the parents but also with securing the 
cooperation of the church as a whole. In every congre- 
gation there are numbers of influential people who do not 
have children in the Sunday school. Go through the list 
of your church officers and note the number who have 
no children in your school. Yet these officers are in 
position to help or hinder the work of the school. The 
same thing is true of those childless influential people of 
the church who are not officers. .Obviously, we must have 

73 


74 HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR SUNDAY SCHOOL 


the support of the whole congregation, parents and non- 
parents alike, if the Sunday school is to do its best work. 

Too frequently we do not take into account the serious- 
ness of this situation. We consider that the Sunday school 
can be run without reference to the balance of the church. 
We set up a kind of “close corporation” which controls 
it. We do not go to the trouble of acquainting even the 
Official Board with the work of the school in detail. When 
this is so, it is hardly to be expected that we will secure 
either the amount or quality of needed cooperation from 
church and parents. For more reasons than that of getting 
money we ought to be energetic and thorough in acquaint- | 
ing all of the people in our church with whatever is 
involved in our educational program. 

This particular schedule aims to help develop ways and 
means to secure the cooperation of parents and church. 
Obviously, local conditions will determine to a very large 
extent the details of our procedure. In every instance 
the essential things to seek are information, ideas, and 
plans that will effectively acquaint our people with what 
we are trying to do with their children. 


157. What is your school doing to acquaint the congre- 
gation with the aims and methods of modern religious 
educational work? the parents of your children? 

158. Have you a Teacher-Parent Association? What 
would be the value of such an organization? To what 
extent can we imitate the Teacher-Parent Organization of 
the public schools? 

159. Have you attempted to use your Home Diapiteeinen 
to acquaint the parents with work of your school? Do you 
consider that the parents who do not attend Sunday school 
are members of the Home Department? Devise a plan 
whereby the Home Department might become useful in 
securing home cooperation. . 

160. What could be done in the way of exhibits? special 
bulletins or leaflets? the use of the regular weekly bulletins? 


COOPERATION OF HOME AND CHURCH 15 


161. Are opportunities given for inspection of the work 
of the school at work—special days set aside for parental 
visitation? 

162. How is attention called to books and articles bear- 
ing on religious education? Do you ever have quotations 
from them in your weekly bulletin? Have you ever given 
“reviews” of them to your local paper for publication? 

163. What use is made of the public press in setting 
forth the aims and methods of your school? 

164. Have you a bulletin board that can be used to 
announce items bearing on the work of your school? Do 
you use it? 

165. Does your school unite with other schools in the 
community in holding massmeetings, institutes, or con- 
ventions, the main purpose of which is to arouse public 
interest in religious education? 

166. In your publicity work do you place emphasis upon 
the educational features of your school or upon those 
features that are spectacular? 

167. Wherein has the publicity work done in connection 
with this survey popularized religious education in your 
community? 

168. Wherein could those publicity methods be im- 
proved? How can you even at this date make use of the 
data gathered and conclusions reached? 

169. What have been the outstanding values of this 
survey? Wherein has your school profited from it? Be 
definite in your answers to that question. If you were to 

promote it again, wherein would you improve it? 


ADDITIONAL REFERENCES 


Cope, Henry F. Efficiency in the Sunday School, Chapter 
XXVIII. 

Encyclopedia of Sunday Schools and Religious Education. 
Articles on “Advertising the Sunday School,” by Isaac P. 
Burgess, and “Methods of Publicity,’ by Franklin McEl- 
fresh. 


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